We moved to Brazil 2 months ago. Crazy, I know.
Even though I've lived in cities as populous and twice the physical size (Beijing), as unattractive (Taipei) and as linguistically challenging (Paris), the first few weeks were especially tough in São Paulo.
The sprawling city of high rises is 10 times the area of Manhattan with grime and and noise pollution commensurate to its size. Cables hang perilously from pole to pole along the streets, and uneven sidewalks create gauntlets for pedestrians, especially 2-year old ones!
Handicapped by my lack of Portuguese and confounded by the level of crime, I felt uneasy taking our toddler about town. Fortunately Brazilians are a friendly lot, and the neighborhoods we live and work in are as safe as other cities we've lived in.
São Paulo is growing on us. Besides indulging in fantastic culinary experiences, we are beginning to scratch the surface of the city's rich cultural complexity. One of its more noticeable attributes is the street art, whether it is illegal graffiti or commissioned work. Truly amazing stuff.
We look forward to seeing more of it and learning more about our new home.
Even though I've lived in cities as populous and twice the physical size (Beijing), as unattractive (Taipei) and as linguistically challenging (Paris), the first few weeks were especially tough in São Paulo.
The sprawling city of high rises is 10 times the area of Manhattan with grime and and noise pollution commensurate to its size. Cables hang perilously from pole to pole along the streets, and uneven sidewalks create gauntlets for pedestrians, especially 2-year old ones!
Handicapped by my lack of Portuguese and confounded by the level of crime, I felt uneasy taking our toddler about town. Fortunately Brazilians are a friendly lot, and the neighborhoods we live and work in are as safe as other cities we've lived in.
São Paulo is growing on us. Besides indulging in fantastic culinary experiences, we are beginning to scratch the surface of the city's rich cultural complexity. One of its more noticeable attributes is the street art, whether it is illegal graffiti or commissioned work. Truly amazing stuff.
We look forward to seeing more of it and learning more about our new home.